Locomotive



R.N.CHAMBERLA1N.

Locomolve. APPLICATION HLED 091241 l, 1920.

KSHEETSAHEETI 2.

. WLWwSot H., 0

R. N. CHAMBERLAIN.

LOCOMOTIVE. APPLIQATlON HLED OCT. 11,-1920.

Patented May 30, 1922.

3SHEETS-SHEET` 3.

' tion problems not vice.

to serve asan RUFUS N. CHAMBERLAIN, CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNRCF R. BERGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Lo oomorrvn.

Application filed October 11, 1920. Serial No.

To all lwlw/m t may concern Be it known that I, RUFUs N. CHAMBER- LAIN, a citizen of the United States of .America, and a resident of Chicago, county ot' Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electro-motive means of self-contained character, and especially to locomotives, omnibuses, trucks, tractors and the like and to such devices having primary power trical energy required, and also having storage means to conserve the surplus power generated.

The growing demand t'or electrical operation of ltrains as in suburban service and at railway terminals, including' ing' at such points, presents a vast field for improvements to be worked out by the development engineer and inventor. trification of railway terminals involves tracmet in trunk line opera tion, even with electric railways. This arises mainly from the fact that either an overhead or ground system of'ellectric power distribution, or any combination thereof bef comes extremely complex' if carried out in a large terminal station, or ina switchin, yard. buchy a complicated system is not only veryexpensive to construct and maintain, butis easily so disarranged as to interfere seriously with service. a grave source ot danger. not only to employes at'all times, but also to the traveling public in ot accident. v

Attempts have been made to solve this problem in various ways. but so `far as I am aware all methods heretofore tried have proven weak and defective in some respect, either in point of dependable operativeness or practical eiiciency. For instance an internal combustion enninealone. in order to respond to the relatively infrequent maxi@ mum load which it may be called upontt move. must be ot' so large a in running- |`usually at a very lig-ht load and corresponding'ly low efficiency, not to mention the idle time chargeable to sucha dc- Even when a storage battery is used auxiliary or alternative power source for switching purposes, still gine must be l Specification of Letters Patent.

means to supply the elecsecond, it will be capable of use general switch- 'The elecgardless of the It is moreover rails` central size as to result the er1- ofiarge size and has little occasion to be run at nearly full load except vat times, as in moving heavy trains.

h e main objects of my invention are to provide an elicient quick-acting and powerf ul suburban passenger and electric locomotive which vill embody the following' advantageous4 features: First, it will be storage battery driven and will be ot' self-contained character, having its oW'n chargingplant designed to operatel practically continuously at full load and maximum efficiency,

load handled by the locomotive as a whole;

on any of'the old steam railway tracks, and on new tracks and terminals, no overhead trolley or catenary feeding systems being required; third, it `will be ladapted for use in connection with the present or usual sig,- nal systems whereby the more expensive and complicated systems such as are vrecpuired where 'overhead ytrolleys or third rails are used may be avoided;

ONE-HALF To miesen freight terminal" Patenten May so, rees.

65,1 regardless ot' iuctuations in fthe:

equally Wella. :7

fourth, it'y will `be adapted for electrificatlon of steam raill i constructing the tracks or providing power v.

greatly to the cost 1 f ot such improvements; and fth, it will be s ations which alone add at all times dependable' for operation at full i tractive load, for a substantial period, re#

fuel. l Still another' object is to provide rsuch a system as herein specifiech smokeless .locomotive ot individualy unit other units and tion through stations` coal ice, or other external factors.

Furthermore, 1t is my purpose to provide a locomotive of Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the locomo' tive. j

rtype of prime mover or the.

possibility of interference in operaf. failure of power` lines, thirdA supply, storms,"

embodyingl a '-.95 the general character stated wherein thev v:loo

locomotive, part of"` lio Fig. 3 is a section at line on Fig. 1.

l*1 ig. el a side elevation ot the .locomotive except that one end is broken away.

Fig. 5 is an illustrative chart showing both atypical load curve and a normal bau tery charging curve ior a one-day period ot' twenty-two hours.

Figures 6 and T show diagrammatically the electrical circuits involved.

In the construction shown in the drawings the locomotive as a Whole comprises mainly a frame ilsupported on a pair of trucks 2. a direct connected prime mover 3 and electric generator l mounted. centrally on said frame and housed within the cab 5, storage batteries 6 located on both ends of said trame adjacent to said cab, one or. more electric niotors 7 Amounted on said trucks, 'fuel reservoirs 8 and controllers 9. Auxiliary apparatus is also provided at 10. Tine cab lis provided 'with a door ll and `windows 12. yThe internal combustion engine i is connected to the dynamo 4 by means ot' a flexible coupling 13.

The prime mover 3 is preferably an internal combustion engine arranged in alinement with the generator 4. the shafts 14 and l5 being coturnably connected and disposed i lengthwise ot the locomotive frame 1. The

batteries 6 are enclosed in Aprotective 'hous-l ings 1G whicn are constructed 'for ready access to 'the several cells. The latter may be cut out. interchanged land renewed from time. to time, as will be understood.; Without rendering the locomotive inoperati for any considerable period. Coupling means 17 are provided'at the ends of 'trame l.

A preferredl embodin ent of my invention constructed accordingto a design which .l consider most practical for general use, comprises a locomotive trame about forty -t'eet long and nine feet Wide, and having a height at the center Where the cab is located ot' about twelve feet. The weight ot such a loco1notive complete and ready for use is approximately two .hundred thousand pounds.

'prefer battery equipment ot one hundred and twenty cells 'with a total power capacity ot about Q40() H. P. and capable olstoring about i2000 icl-l). hours ot weight ot thc battery being about one hundred and twenty thousand pounds.

Although any one ot several ditlerent types ot engines might .be used, l. prefer an internal combustion engine of approximately 125 H. l. capacity.' cost of operating such an engine with oil fuel is about one cent to one and one-hahc cents per H. P. hour including. fuel, labor and maintenance when running from three-quarters to full load Afor twenty hours each day. such operating cost varying with varying cost .ot labor and fuel. v

The generator to be used with said engine should have a capacity ofabout three bundred fifty ainperes at two hundred and tit-ty energy,l the gross Figure 6 producing volts, ranging to about three hundred ainperes at three hundred volts. The series field winding may be connected iu either compound or differential with respect to the shunt field. or the generator may be built with a pronounced drooping voltage characteristic as the ampere load increases and rice versa. Such machines are ell known and need not be described iu detail. Means may be )')rovided whereby the attendant may alter the amount ot current winding if such is used. The aboveaneutioned type of generator is adapted to give a substantially constant watta 'when operated with a suitably connected battery of proper size. This feature provides the ad- \f'antage of the battery beingadapted to constitute a substantially constant load on the engine which may therefore be run rontinuouSly at substantially full load. 'lhe con stano y ot the .load on the engine may be governed by the cutting in' and out ot': tbc shunts on the series Winding of the generator or by other suitable devices.

Four 1.5() to 200 H. P. motors are pro vided, one for each of the :tour axles, said motors being preferably geared to the axles or they may be directly connected thereto when preferred, as will be understood.

The controllers may serve to place all fields in series and armatures in series 'for minimum power up to all fields in multiple and armatures in multiple for maximum power. and as many intermediate control combinations be deemed advisable; with the batteries. 1n series or in multiple units. as the operating conditions require. Que arrangement of circuits is shown in Figures 6 and 7, which illustrate the use of two motors. The same.

arrangement may apply to four or more motors.'

An ampere hour meter, tornians cab, and easily visible, show the motorman the power which has been taken romvthe batteries. Besides tbe ampere hour meter, visible yoltmeter, which Will also indicate located in the moof fields and armatures as mayl will always through the series'A there will be anequally y the condition of the battery capacity available, and so be a check onthe ampere hour meter. @ther standard instruments and voverload switches would 'also .be conveniently/'located in the motormans cab or 'under bis control.

ln Figures and 7, l have illustrated one arrangement of controller, Figure 6 showing a development of the controller and Figure 7 showing diagrammatically the different connections at the corresponding points of the controller, the positions a, b c l e in. the connections repre-- sented b the corresponding letters in Figure 7. n these figures, the motors are represented by the letters A and B and the batteries l,by the letters. C and D.

. objectof Figures '.6

will be'apparent from From these two figures it will be noted that the motors lare connected in series with the two batteries in multiple. The next arrangement is with the fields in series. the Aarmatures in multiple and the batteries in multiple. l1`he next arrangement lis with the motors in series and the batteries inseries. The next arrangement is with the motor fieldsin series, the motor,armatures in mul! tiple and the batteries in` series. The fifth and last arrangement vis with the fields in multiple. the armaturesiin multiple, the batteries in series. i It is well understood that any other suit'- able arrangement of controller contacts may be made to produce any other desired combinations to suit particular requirements, the and T being merely to show one arrangement of the motors and the controller, and it is believed that the circuits the figures shown.

lThis system of storage battery locomotive is based on a battery of suiicient capacity to carry maximum momentary loa'ds up to 2404() the engine and generator H. and to run at approximately a constant load Aoie about 10U to 1251i. P.. or any suitable horse power that will keep the locomotive iii service and usually leave the battery substantially charged at the end of the days work; the

'service, ot' course, being intermittent, such as occurs in suburban, passenger terminals, or freight yard service. For example. assume that the average H. P. load for 22 hours operation out ot' 524 hours, would be 10() H. P. or a total of 2200 H. P. hours. Then the engine power plant running withv an output of H. P. foi-'22 hours` would put into the battery approximately 2310 or 5% overthe requirements of the day. The locomotive motors, however, dui'- ing the day may have drawn at times peak loads of 2,000'H. P., but as the locomotive load would 'often be only '25() H. P.. or less, and at other ytimes be zero. ythe average might not exceed 100 to 125 H. Should thel ampere hour meter show the battery capacity to bc. below the predetermined capacity, ior instance 75% thenby an adjustment of the switches controlling the shunts on the series coilsgthe generator may be made to charge the batteries at a higher rate, and vice versa. l

The cost o't' operation ot'. the storage battery locomotive will be at a minimum. as internal combustion enginesare among the most economical power producers; also the/ power is produced Yat the. point ot requirement occasioning no loss in transmission.

The engine ruiming at three-quarters to full load all the time not only gives 'maximum etliciency in fuel consumption, but minimum depreciation and maintenance in its Wearing parts.

Reliability ot' operation is assured, as the tric locomotive -wears out it canbe lifted out and a goodf:

one dropped inv place. A groupi ot`yc'ells'75 working together do not wear `out-at the-5cc'. same time; hence in the couise of t'lielit'e of the battery. would ordinarily require replacing. i Since all the power generatingr unts-:ares'o 11 operated at continuously steady load. over-load) maximum liiL'eI will befsecured. The only unit or members y overloaded are the motors, andas they 'are always built to stand overloadsyno unusual LA depreciation can occur. The volta-ge fis i kept normal at all times. thus never putting j the armatures of the motors to 'any' unusual i strain, as is the case in other electric motor-"- cars, fed from trolley or third rail'.systeinsi,v whei'ea large di'op in voltage often occi'ifrs.:

Since this system of. storage battery-elec-"m" is an individual unit sys-f` teni. depending on no other units. the possi-'3" bility ot' interference in operation isnil,t`oi" 95 there are no power lines or third `rails to fail from breaking down or being covered Y l by ice. and there can be `no powerfstatioii failure. y j The power of storage battery locomotives 1,005: is exceptionally great. Their tractive' i fort. owingto the weight ofthe v4batterie l over the drivers, is a'riiaxiniuiiiandj v`the` i amount ot power available is extreme. l battery can discharge at twentytimes laber "1 5 its normal rate, the limit being the carryiiig capacity of the motors and conductors.v yThe battery suggested .for the present d esigi u above referred to consists of 12() cells, ing a discharge capacity oi '1G H. P.,ea"ch.110','Y or a total ot' about yi200() H. l. Tests of that capacity have' been madeand continuedl for over 15 minutes. y .f

.biot only is the efficiency of Ithe liritern'al1-'y plant`l among` 115 'combustion engine charging the highest known. but the efiiciency oi' the operation otthe locomotive is exjceptioii-i ally high. The voltage is always high and comparatively steady. Owing to tlieproxiii'iity oi the batteries. the motors should-12l0-. .V operate at their best eiiciency The batteries being kept t'airly charged through f charging from the internal combustion en,v

gine generator plant. operate at a `high effin ,1, ci'ency.y 'llhepinicipal inefficiency ota bat- 12,5

tery is dueto the low voltage at the last part ot' a discharge and the high voltiige at the end of av charge. Both these ,losses are largely eliminated through thelarge capac ity ot' 'the battery not requiring complete 130 only one or two atea time that might beabove conditions will discharge to give required locomotive service except in case ot' breakdown ofengilieor generator. In tact. except t'or a breakdown of the engine power' charging plant, the battery ivill not ordinarily 'discharge over 50i/L ot' its capacity..and with such a reserve capacity. a nine-tenths charge will be all that is needed. except once a week. ivhen a t'airly full charge should be given. and once in tivo weeks an overcharge until gravity reaches a maximum.

The above described storage battery locomotive is exceptionally responsive. since almost unlimited power for starting is available. As mentioned elsevvliere. 2000 ll. P. is available from the battery for approximately fitteen minutes.

As an aid to the braking power ot the locomotive, a system otl control can be'applied by 1vhicli power may be turned back into the batteries by making the mot-ors act as generators.

Since all factors of the storage battery` locomotive, except the storage battery. are Well understood and their long life appreciated. it is only necessary toI state that storage battery experimenting has long shown that a battery operating under the show not only high efficiency but long life-a lite of from tive to seven years with suitably designed and constructed batteries.

The above suggested size of locomotive is considered a fair average for modern service conditions. A larger or smaller size. of course, can be designed and built to give the Same advantages. Passenger. self-propelled vehicles or cars can be readily'bui'lt by using the above storage battery locomotive idea as a basis for the chassis. and building on top a suitable passenger coach with a motormans compartment at one end, or at each end; the. conductor to attend to the simple operation of the engine in .addition to his duties as conductor. The motorn'ian usually being more experienced can take care of the starting and adjusting ot the power plant at the beginning of each davs service.

Although' this inventionA scribed it is to be ous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit oi the invention as defined bythe appended claims, Furthermore .it is .to be understoodthat. theinvention is not limited to locomotives in any strict sense;

but one specific embodiment of is herein shown and de but may be largelyiused to advantage in other forms of motor vehicles includingtrucks and the. like.

I claim;

1. In a motor vehicle having traction Abattery and motor understood that numcito theA driving mechanism ot' the vehicle, said being adapted to deliver excessive load for short duration, and a charging generator connected with the bat` tery and delivering a substantially constant relatively small continuous rate of .power to said battery. substantially as described. I

A motor vehicle having traction wheels and adapted for a service involving normal loads and relatively large overloads7 an elec tric motor connected to the traction Wheels.' a storage battery as a source of 4driving power and adapted to deliver relatively large overloads for short duration. means connect'r ing4 said battery to said motor, and a relatively small generator' for continuously charging said battery at small rate. sub stantially as described.

4. A locomotive having a poiver equipmentconiprising in combination a storage stantially their full load. substantially' as described.

5. A motor vehicle comprising a driving motor. 'a storagebattery for 'supplying eneigy to said motor. a prime. source of power for charging said battery and having a normal load which is coiisiderabl y less than that ot 'the storage battery, substantially as described.

(i. A motor vehicle comprising a single unit. vehicle. a motor for driving the saine..

a storage battery carried by said vehicle for supplying said motor. a generator operating at. full load for continuously charging said battery at a rate approximately equal to the average load on said battery, an engine for operating said generator, said battery hav-J ing a capacity many times the full load of said generator., substantially as described.

Siigned at Qliic-ago this dav of Oct.. i920.

it i l EUS CH AMBERLAIN.' 

